Sassy: Little Sister Is NOT My Name!

Two-time Coretta Scott King Award–winner Draper hits her middle-grade target in this cheerful yet reflective novel about feeling appreciated and finding one's place. “I'm pretty invisible around here,” complains fourth-grader Sassy, who is annoyed that her parents and older siblings insist on calling her “Little Sister,” and that she's always last in the family pecking order. Though she also grumbles about having to wear a drab uniform to school, Sassy does her best to look “distinctive and unique” by wearing glittery fingernail polish and shimmering lip gloss—and by toting her “Sassy Sack.” Made by her beloved Granny, this colorful bag holds everything from Life Savers to shoelaces, sunglasses to mittens. “Even I'm not sure what all's in there, but I know when I reach down into it, I always seem to find exactly what I need,” she says. A “Who Am I” class project and a situation in which Sassy's diminutive stature saves the day underscore Draper's clever and careful consideration of external and internal qualities. Filled with energy and opinion, Sassy more than lives up to her name. Ages 7–10. (Mar.)